Concealed fitting for mounting vehicle-tops.



W. G. RANDS.

'GONGEALED PITTINGIOR MOUNTING VEHICLE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED 51111521, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHELET 1.

No. 859,250. PATENTED JULY 9 1907,

No@ 859,250. PAT-EDITED JULY 9, 1907.

, I w. 0. BANDS. N

GONGEALED FITTING FOR MOUNTING VEHICLE TOPS.

APPLICATION IiLED JUNE 21, 1906.

2 SHELBTS-SHEET 2.

Ens a sic.

WILLIAM o. RANDS, 0F nnrnoraMionrem;

CONCEALED FITTING non MOUNTING VEHICLE-TOPS.

I Specification of I etters Patent.

' Patented J'uly 9, 1907.

Application r1106 June 21; 1906. Serial mszasw.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. BANDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Concealed Fittings forMounting Vehicle-Tops; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, refer-' eally conceal said fittings when not in use for supportinga top, provision being made for quickly and securely v mounting andmaintaining the top in position, when desired, the arrangement beingsuch that when the top is removed, no parts of the fittings undulyproject beyond the plane of the body frame or upholstery. The aboveobject is attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a vehicle bodyprovided with my improved fittings, showing the caps covering the socketopenings in which may be secured the parts that support the top. Fig. 2is a fragmentary view in perspective, of a portion of a vehicle body,showing the body irons which carry the socket members securely attachedto the body. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view as on line 3-3 of Fig.2, showing in addition the upholstery and a top-supporting membersocured in the socket of the fitting. Fig. 4 is an elevation with partsbroken away, showing a top-supporting member or bracket screwed into thesocket of the fitting, and a jam nut for securing said parts in place, a

' D -washer .being pinned to the socket member to pre plng being screwedtherein.

vent the bracket member turning. Fig. 5 is a view,of the parts shown inFig. 4 disassembled and'partly sectioned. Fig. i is an end elevation ofFig. 4. Fig. 7 is a transverse section as on line 7-7 of Fig. 4. Fig.- 8is an elevation of a portion of a body iron and a socket member, saidmember being partly in section and a capped Fig 9 is an elevation,

A parts broken away, showing the means for securing to the socket membera bracket of a different type from that shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 10 is anend elevation .of 'F i g. 9.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 desighates the vehicle bodywhich is strengthened by the body irons 2 that are secured to the sidesand extend onto the seat portion 3 in a manner well understood in theart. If desired, the irons may be additionally braced by the laterallyextending arms -4. Formed integrally with the body irons at their upperends are the socket members 5 which project outwardly'nearly at rightangles to said irons and are tapped as shown. The position of the partsis i such that when thebody is upholstered, the socket member 5 will lieconcealed within the upholstery 6 as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so thatwhen the brackets or fittings that are employed to support the top, areremoved, there will be nothing visible but the socket opening which isclosed by means of a screw plug having a finished cap 7. .When said plugis screwed into the socket, the cap only thereof is visible, as shown inFigs. 1 and 8, affording an ornamental trimming for the body andobviatingthe unsightly projecting parts which support the top, as isincident -to fittings of this character, wherein said supporting partsare formed integral with -or non-detachable from the. body irons orsocket member. By providing the upper ends of the body irons with thetapped socket members 5, provision is made for securing any character offitting which may be necessary in view of the style of top with whichthe vehicle may be equipped.

Where an L-shaped bracket 8 is employed as shown in Figs. 4 to 6inclusive, the stem of said bracket is threaded as shown at 9, and isscrewed into the socket member. To prevent the turning of said bracketafter being properly adjusted, there is formed in the margin oi thesocket member, an

aperture 10 adapted to receive a locking pin 11. The

upper sideof the stem 9 is flattened, as'shown at- 1 2, and a D-washcr13 is used thereon, which is provided with an aperture 14 whichregisters with aperture l0 inthe socket member. Upon the threaded stemof the bracket 8 is a jam nut 15. After said stem shall have beenscrewed into the socket the desired distance, the pin 11 is placed inthe aperture 10 of the socket, and the D-washer is placed against theend of the socket so that its aperture 14 will receive the projectingend of said'p in, the straight portion of the washer opening'engagingthe fiat portion of said stem; the jaurnut 15 is then screwed forciblyinto place against the washer, thereby locking all of the partsand'securing the L-bracket firmly in position. By providing a series ofapertures in the outer end of the socket member, the bracket may beswung to and locked in any desired position.

When employing the goose neck type of bracket 16, as shown in Fig. 9,which is provided at one end with a reduced threaded portion 17 i that"receives the eye of the bow-sockets of the top, not shown, a- 'bolt' 18is employed which is adapted to pass through invention.

the eye 19 in said bracket and screw into the socket.

' member 5, there being in the margin of said eye 19 an aperture 20which receives the locking pin 11 that extends between the socket memberand said bracket to prevent the turning oi the bracket on the bolt. Whenthe bolt 18 is screwed tightly into place, the parts are held rigidly inposition. The bracket 16 is susceptible of the same adjustment as is theL- bracket 8. I 4

I have only shown two types of bracket fittings in illustrating theapplication of my invention, but it will be understood that other typesof fittings maybe employed for supporting the top which the peculiarnature or construction of the topmay render necessary,- withoutdeparting from thespirit of my Having thus fully set forth my invention,what I claim as new and-desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:'

1. The comblnation wlth a vehicle body, of a socket member attachedthereto and 'concealed within the up 1 h olstery, a bracket memberadapted to carry the top, said bracket member having an integralthreaded stem to screw into said socket, and means for locking said stemin said socket to prevent independent movement of said parts.

2; The combination with a vehicle body, of a body iron secured thereto,a member carried at the upper end of the 7 said socket said stern having,a flat portion thereon, a -D-washer fitted to the fiat portion of saidstem, and

means for locking said washer to the socket member to preventindependent movement of said parts.

4. The combination with a vehicle body, of a body iron secured thereto,a socket member formed integral with the vupper end of the body ironprojecting at an angle thereformutmd concealed within the upholstery, abracket memher having a threaded bolt or stem adapted to screw into saidsocket member and a pin projecting from the socket member for lockingthe bracket member against turning.

In testimony whereof, I sign this-specification in the presence of '.twowitnesses.

' W'ILLIAM c. BANDS.

Witnesses:

E. S. WHEELER, I. G. HOWLETT.

